Keep Your Long Distance Relationship Alive

I just returned back from a whirlwind weekend trip to Oklahoma City (hence the "y'all") to visit my boyfriend who is training at an Air Force Base nearby. It was my first weekend away from college, and it was a nice break from the long-distance deal that he and I have been doing since before I left for school. It got me thinking about all of you who might be trying to work out this whole across-the-country thing with a significant other. I am here to tell you something that you might not hear very often: it is possible.

Weird, right? Everybody is always a downer about long-distance relationships, because, well... they're hard! However, in my experience as a military girlfriend, and now an on-campus student, there are steps you can take to make the process easier.

military girlfriend

Make time for each other. It can (sadly) be easy to forget all about your guy/girl in the craziness of adjusting to a new life in college, so make sure that you set aside time for a phone call or a Skype date so that your relationship doesn't fall apart.

Find something in common. You're in a whole new world as a college freshman, and you'll find that things change between you and your boyfriend/girlfriend. It helps to make sure you have some common ground! Something my guy and I like to do is have Skype-TV dates, where we each watch an episode of the same show (right now it's Supernatural season one) and video chat while we watch. It makes for a fun little "date" and gives you something new to experience together, even from far away.

pink and orange roses

Keep it romantic. It's really easy to forget about why you two fell in love in the first place when you're across the country, so try to do little things to keep your romance alive. My wonderful boyfriend sent me "good luck" roses on my first day of classes because he knew I was nervous (isn't he a doll?). My favorite thing to do for him is send a small care package filled with snacks, photos, things he has mentioned needing in offhanded conversations, and always a little "I love you" note.

I'm sure I'll have plenty more tips to share with "y'all" throughout this year, so keep an eye out!

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